Do you feel like your curly hair is a curse? Are you tired of feeling like you’re limited with your curly hairstyle options? Stop stressing and start styling with these professional hair care tips specifically designed with curly hair in mind.

The first step in creating fabulous curly hairstyles is to get a great hair cut. Cutting curly hair is not the same as cutting straight hair and your stylist should know this. There are special considerations that need to be taken into account because the length and shape of curly hair when wet can change dramatically when it’s dry. If you never seem to be able to get a great curly hairstyle from your hairdresser it could be time to move on to a stylist that knows curly hair.

Curly hairstyles number one foe is frizz. To combat the evil frizz you need styling products that can tackle dry, flyaway hair and tame it. Your first step should be to use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Often curly hair is prone to dryness. Give those curls lots of moisture and they’ll reward you with silky waves.

Your next order of business is to stock up on styling products that are curly hairstyles friendly. Look for products that contain silicone as an ingredient. Silicone lightly coats the hair shaft making curly hair shiny, smooth and frizz free.

If you’re trying to tame your curls nothing beats a high quality smoothing balm to relax those waves during blow drying. Apply a liberal amount to damp hair, distribute with a wide toothed comb and then blow dry with a large round brush. The smoothing balm will help straighten your curly hair with less work.

If you’re looking to make the most of the curls Mother Nature gave you then reach for a curl enhancing styling product. These often come as spray in products but can also be in crèmes as well. These help strengthen and magnify the curls you already have as well as keep them well defined instead of frizzy.

Your last order of business is to get yourself the right styling tools for the job. Curly hairstyles require slightly different styling tools than straight hair and having the correct ones will make all the difference to the quality of your hairstyle.

If you’re looking to enhance your curls while blow drying you need a diffuser attachment for your blow drier. This relatively inexpensive tool attaches to the end of your blow dryer and diffuses the air movement into a more gentle and even flow. Curly hair that is “blown around” too much is likely to frizz on you. Keep the air flow gentle and it’s like air drying your hair—only faster.

Those looking to temporarily say goodbye to their curly hairstyles with a flat iron should know that not all flat irons are created equal. If you have curly hair you’ll need a high quality flat iron that heats up enough to smooth all those curls away yet does it in a non-damaging manner. When it comes to flat irons you get what you pay for so if your curly hair is going to be coming in contact with a flat iron make sure it’s a high quality one.

The brushes you use also have a profound affect on the end results of your curly hairstyles. If you’re looking to smooth out your curls with a brush use large brushes made of natural bristles for the best results. Curly hair’s best friend is a large, round boar bristle brush for the ultimate in big, sexy waves.

As you can see, creating fabulous curly hairstyles doesn’t have to be difficult. You simply need to know what to use and when to use it. Get the right cut, use curl-friendly hair products and pick the right tools and you can have any curly hairstyle you want and make it look great.